The lightning surprise release of Israeli/American hostage Edan Alexander has triggered a dramatic reshuffling in the relationship between Hamas, the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Alexander’s release after 584 torturous days in Hamas’ terror dungeons is a welcome and even miraculous development. It is a tribute to Edan’s courage and will to survive Hamas’ horrors as his release brings to an end his suffering and that of his family.
While Israel and the US celebrate Alexander's newfound freedom, we should not be fooled that Alexander’s unconditional release is a Hamas gesture to the United States. Rather, this is Hamas’ further weaponization and exploitation of hostages as acts of political and cognitive warfare against Israel.
It is designed to further legitimize Hamas as a viable negotiator, keep Hamas in power, particularly at a moment when Israel is expanding its military campaign to conquer Gaza and eliminate Hamas as a military, political, and civil power. Israel has no other option than defeating Hamas.
It is also designed as a driver of division between Jerusalem and Washington.
Hamas’ move has complicated the US-Israel alignment on Gaza. Just weeks ago, President Trump called for “hell to pay” in Gaza, an American takeover of the strip, humanitarian relocation of its 2,000,000 residents, and a 10-year rebuilding process. But now the momentum has shifted.
Hamas’ “humanitarian” move encourages American pressure on Israel to end its counterterrorism war in service of advancing additional US efforts to release hostages over time, legitimizing Hamas while it rearms, resupplies and reestablishes it military power and control.
In fact, Hamas-affiliated media have claimed credit for successful negotiations with the US, branding the release of Edan Alexander as the Edan deal, portraying Hamas as a rising international player, sidelining Israel from direct talks with DC, and declaring this a “ new phase in the conflict”.
Hamas’ weaponization of Alexander is far more sophisticated than it may appear. It’s a classic example of political warfare that appears to align with US strategy to secure and stabilize a new Middle East with Saudi partnership driven by the 2030 vision of Crown Prince Mohammed Ibn Salman.
Hamas knows that the price tag is a near-term end to the hostilities in Gaza. The stakes are high. The US-Saudi alignment could bring a trillion dollars of Saudi, UAE, and Qatari investment in the US, while adding new Arab state members to the Abraham Accords Circle of Peace and even climaxing in Saudi normalization with Israel.
However, the naysayers of the American Israeli strategic alignment on the Middle East should not be overly optimistic. President Trump has stated clearly that Hamas must be dislodged from Gaza, while Iran will not be permitted to enrich uranium and develop nuclear weapons. Speculation about deepening ties between Trump and Israel’s adversaries has fueled excessive alarm.
Recent reports that the Trump administration might recognize a Palestinian state or engage with actors that undermine Israel's vital security interests were unequivocally refuted by key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and US
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, in a May 10, 2025, statement, called the reports “reckless and irresponsible,” emphasizing that “the relationship between the US and Israel remains strong”. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was reported to have visited the Israeli embassy in Washington just days ago in an act of reassurance.
These confirmations of a strong US-Israel alliance are underscored by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer’s personal meeting with Trump on May 8, 2025, to discuss Gaza and Iran, reaffirming the administration’s special relationship with Israel on critical security issues.
While Trump’s “art of the deal” economic and political approach to the Middle East reflects classic Trump “out of the box” thinking, Israel and the US are well aligned, particularly in preventing Iran from achieving nuclearized regional dominance.
While not completely reflective of across-the-board Israeli interests, President Trump’s Middle East visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates is not a snub of Israel. The Iranian regime and its Hamas terror proxy should take note. The US IS committed to regional security, Israeli-Saudi normalization, and the end of Islamic extremist terror.
Dr. Dan Diker is president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.